Reince Priebus to run again for RNC chairman

Reince Priebus will run for another term as chairman of the Republican National Committee, The Daily Caller has learned.

Priebus made the announcement Friday afternoon in a letter emailed to the 168 members of the committee.

“When I return the week after Thanksgiving, I intend to make an official announcement that I am running to continue on as your Chairman, but I wanted to let you all know first,” Priebus says in the letter, which was obtained by TheDC through a Republican source.

The announcement comes after Priebus spent the last week discussing the prospect of another two-year term with his family and the members of the committee. Priebus, the former Wisconsin GOP state chairman, was elected as national chairman in 2011 after defeating then-chairman Michael Steele.

In the letter, Priebus says more than 130 members have committed to voting for his re-election, which suggests he has the chairmanship locked up for another term. Under party rules, 85 votes are needed to claim victory.

“I am humbled by the over 130 RNC Members who I have talked to who have pledged their support and public endorsement for me to continue on as Chairman so we can finish the job that we started and continue to grow our Party,” Priebus writes.

The committee is set to elect a new chairman in January. No other candidates have entered the race yet.

Even though Republicans failed to defeat President Barack Obama or win control of the U.S. Senate during Priebus’ chairmanship, he has been widely praised for strengthening the RNC’s organization. In the letter, Priebus argues that the RNC “has come a long way since the Chairman’s election in January 2011” when he defeated Steele.

“When we entered the building less than two years ago, we faced many difficult challenges,” Priebus wrote. “The RNC was over $22 million in debt with almost no cash on hand; much of our donor base lost confidence and stopped contributing to the RNC.”

“We have accomplished a lot in the past 22 months, but obviously, there is much to do,” Priebus wrote. “We need to immediately assess and build our operations, get in the field and go on offense.”

As Priebus pondered another go at running the national committee, Republicans told TheDC that Priebus would be the heavy favorite if he decided to run again.

“If he runs again, I don’t think he would have any serious opposition,” said Henry Barbour, the Mississippi committeeman who helped run Priebus’ campaign for chairman in 2011, said.